


Transcript A11G: Todd Mintz

by VickyVicarious



Series: The Girl I Like [4]
Category: 1-800-WHERE-R-U Series - Meg Cabot
Genre: Book Tag, Gen, transcript
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-15
Updated: 2008-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 09:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27848798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VickyVicarious/pseuds/VickyVicarious
Summary: Todd is interviewed by two Special Agents, and a secret comes out...Interlude set right after 'Safe House'.
Series: The Girl I Like [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038147
Kudos: 3





	Transcript A11G: Todd Mintz

**Author's Note:**

> This is an interlude in a series of Rob's POV fics. If you know the books, you can get by without reading those, but there are definitely references to dynamics I set up in those fics, so I'd suggest reading from the beginning.
> 
> Italicized = Special Agents  
> Normal = Civilians

**_Special Agent Smith:_ ** _Hi Todd, come on in. Sit down. I'm Special Agent Smith, and this is Special Agent Johnson. We'd like to ask you a few more questions about the events surrounding the altercation today ending in the arrest of Mark Leskowski and Jeff Day, and your part in it._

 **Todd Mintz:** Um, okay. ***sits*** Hi. Uh, what do you want to know?

 **_Special Agent Johnson:_ ** _Mr. Mintz, we understand that you were acquainted with Mr. Leskowski. Were you aware of his crimes?_

 **TM:** No… I swear I didn’t know, man - uh, sir. I didn’t know anything. I mean, I heard about Amber, and Heather, and all, but I had no idea Mark was in on it. I don’t really know him all that well.

 ** _SAS:_ ** _But you’re on the football team together._

 **TM:** Well, yeah, he’s on the team with me, but we aren’t exactly friends, you know? I don’t really hang out with most of the team. I’m just in it for the football… I’ve always thought that most of the other guys are kind of jerks. And… I guess I was right, huh?

 **_SAS:_ ** _Apparently so. Good instincts._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _So you noticed Mr. Leskowski and Mr. Day acting suspiciously, and took it upon yourself to help Miss Mastriani and Mr. Wilkins?_

 **TM:** Well, it wasn’t exactly _helping_ her… I mean, I was just there, just saving Jess from getting squished to death. And then, you know, it was kinda obvious that something bad was going on, and Jess is usually right about these kinds of things. So, yeah, I guess I helped Jess.

 **_SAS:_ ** _And Rob._

 **TM:** Who?

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Robert Wilkins. Miss Mastriani’s boyfriend. He was the one who held Mr. Leskowski back when he tried to make a run for it._

 **TM:** Oh. Yeah. Um, him too, I guess. I was helping, uh, Wilkins too. I – I mean, we were _all_ getting Mark and Jeff, right?

 **_SAS:_ ** _Right. …How well do you know Jess, Todd?_

 **TM:** Oh, I don’t really know Jess all that well. I mean, I’ve been in classes with her for practically my whole life and all, and we usually sit near each other – Mastriani, Mintz, you know, they do it alphabetically – but we’re not really great friends, or anything. Not like her and Ruth.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Ruth… Abramowitz? You know her?_

 **TM:** Oh, yeah, I know Ruth a little bit too. She’s Jess’s best friend; you see one, you pretty much see the other, at least in school. Well, except for when Jess gets detention.

 **_SAS:_ ** _Although, **you** do._

 **TM:** What do you mean?

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Special Agent Smith is referring to the time when you stepped into an altercation on Miss Mastriani’s behalf, and ended up in detention yourself, along with several other students._

 **TM:** Well, I guess, I did. Sort of… But, you know, it wasn’t really like that – I was just stopping a fight from breaking out, you know? I wasn’t, like –

 **_SAS:_ ** _You were just helping a friend out, right?_

 **TM:** No, I was just there. I noticed it happening.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _That seems to happen quite a bit lately._

 **TM: _*Laughs_** * Yeah, I guess I do seem to be, a lot. But really, it’s not a big deal or anything… I guess I really do just seem to be around. Why?

 **_SAS:_ ** _We’re just concerned, Todd._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _What about the other times you were ‘just around’?_

 **TM:** W-wait. Wait. What are you talking about?

 ** _SAS:_ ** _Yesterday, you, um…_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Held Miss Mastriani back when she was about to, er, attack another student._

 **TM:** How the hell did you know about that?

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Miss Mastriani is under government surveillance, for her own protection._

 **TM:** You _spy_ on her? Jesus. Just – Jesus.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _We do not **spy** on her. She is under government surv-_

 **_SAS:_ ** _Never mind that. Why did you help her, Todd?_

 **TM:** Well. You know. I didn’t want her to get detention again.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Why?_

 **TM:** I just didn’t.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _There are other, previous incidents, in which you engaged Miss Mastriani in conversation, which suggest that –_

 **TM:** Hey, man, is this relevant to the murders and stuff? Why are you asking me about this?

 **_SAS:_ ** _Actually, Todd, it **is** relevant. You see, your actions could have been construed as more attempts, like those of Mark Leskowski, to get close to Jess, in the hopes of not being linked to the murder/kidnap of Amber Mackey, and the kidnappings of Heather Montrose and Claire Lippman._

 **TM:** What? But – but I was helping! I kept Jeff from escaping!

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Which could have been you, realizing that Mr. Leskowski – and Mr. Day – had been discovered, and sacrificing them to remain free yourself._

 **TM:** I can’t believe this! I was _helping_ you guys! Everyone else was just standing around, and you decided to suspect _me?_

 **_SAS:_ ** _Todd, we don’t **suspect** you. It’s just that the evidence states that perhaps you might have been involved as well, and we don’t want to leave any stone unturned, despite the fact that you helped us._

 **TM:** _Evidence?_ What evidence? Did Day say that I helped them or something? He was lying; he hates me.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Miss Montrose has recovered enough to give testimony, and in it she states that there may have been three kidnappers. She is not certain._

 **TM:** Well, that’s just _great_. Look, I wasn’t involved, okay? I didn’t – I would _never_ do _anything_ like that. Never. I swear.

 **_SAS:_ ** _I’m sorry, Todd, but that’s not good enough. We’re going to need more than that. Do you have an alibi for the first murder?_

 **TM:** Well, no, I mean, I wasn’t even at the quarry that day, so of course I couldn’t have done it.

 **_SAS:_ ** _Where were you?_

 **TM:** You know, at home. Just hanging out, enjoying the last few days of summer.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Do you have any witnesses that can attest to that?_

 **TM:** Um, well, no. I mean, my parents were at work, but you can’t seriously think that I –

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Where were you at the time of the second kidnapping?_

 **TM:** Okay, I have a real, um, a real alibi for that one! I was at the memorial service thing, you know? With everybody else. Ask anybody, I was there.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Can any of them honestly say that you were within their sight the entire time?_

 **TM:** Well, I don’t know, maybe. It was pretty crowded, so you know, it might be kind of hard…

 **_SAS:_ ** _Look, Todd. I don’t think you did it. My partner doesn’t think you did it. But we need a good excuse from you. A reason._

 **TM:** A reason for what?

 **_SAJ:_ ** _A reason behind your tendency to ‘just be there’ around Miss Mastriani these last few days. Because at the moment, it appears that you may have been aiding and abetting both Mr. Day and Mr. Leskowski in the murder of –_

 **TM:** I already told you, I don’t even _like_ them! Why the hell would I –

 **_SAS:_ ** _We just need a reason, Todd. What’s wrong? Can’t you give us one? If you aren’t guilty, you have nothing to hide._

 **TM:** But… I…

 **_SAS:_ ** _Todd._

 **TM:** Fine! Fine, okay? Look, I’m just… I just like her, okay? That’s it, I swear. I’m not involved in any murders or kidnappings or anything, and I didn’t do anything with Jeff or Mark – I just like her.

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Being friends with Miss Mastriani does not –_

 **TM:** No, man, I already told you, I am not _friends_ with her! I said I _like_ her. I **_like_** Jess. _Like_ like. Okay?

 **_SAS:_ ** _But she’s dating Rob._

 **TM:** Well, yeah, I know. Look, I’m not trying to steal her or anything – I don’t do that. And I swear I’m not stalking her or anything. I just like her, so I kind of watch her more in school, and I notice when she’s in trouble, and I help her out, okay? That’s it. I mean, I know she doesn’t like me or anything. She’s really happy with that guy. You can tell. Like yesterday, when he came by to visit her? I swear, her face just lit up. I mean… Look. I just like her. I swear that’s it. Okay? Am I off the hook?

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Well, we don’t have any definite proof –_

 **_SAS:_ ** _\- But I’m **sure** we can direct the investigation elsewhere. I already said, we don’t think you were responsible. We just had to explore every option. It’s even possible that Heather could have been mistaken. Right?_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _…Yes. She was very traumatized._

 **TM:** Okay, so… You won’t tell anyone, right?

 **_SAS:_ ** _Of course not._

 **TM:** Okay. Okay, thanks. So… what now?

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Those are our only questions for the moment. You may leave. Thank you for your time._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Thanks for being so understanding, Todd; it’s been great talking to you._

 **TM:** Um, yeah, okay. Uh, bye then, I guess.

***Todd Mintz exits room***

**_SAS:_ ** _Poor kid._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _You’re far too sympathetic, Jill._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Oh, come on. It’s obvious that he’s crazy about Jess, but –_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Wilkins got there first... I don’t like him._

 **_SAS:_ ** _How many times do I have to tell you, he didn’t blow up your car?_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _How do you know that?_

 **_SAS:_ ** _He just got there right before us; he didn’t have time! And besides –_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _He already blew up one of our **helicopters** , Jill; you think he wouldn’t blow up my car?_

 **_SAS:_ ** _Oh, Allan._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _And he doesn’t like me either. You can see it in his eyes._

 **_SAS:_ ** _So you think that he’s not suitable for Jess?_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _I don’t like him._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Well, then why haven’t you alerted his parole officer about all the things he’s been involved in with Jess? Or that he’s involved **with** Jess? Why, Allan?_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _…Okay, so I think that he’s not bad for her._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Oh, really._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Yes. I mean, let’s face it, how many people would go along with so many idiot schemes? And he hasn’t sold her out to us yet. And I have to admit he cares about her._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Wow, you’re just singing his praises._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _I’m just saying, that of any civilian, he’s the most likely to keep Jess safe. He cares about her._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Uh huh._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _But that doesn’t mean I like him._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Oh, Allan, just admit it. You just like playing your little battle of wills with him. I’ve seen the tapes of when you tried to question him… you enjoy trying to get him to confess, and he enjoys defying you. You’re just both so stubborn and full of testosterone that you can’t **admit** it!_

 **_SAJ:_ ** _That’s not at all true._

 **_SAS:_ ** _…Sure, Allan, sure. Come on, let’s go get this paperwork settled._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Yeah. But I **know** he blew up my car – and I’m going to get him to confess._

 **_SAS:_ ** _Sure, Allan. Sure you will._

 **_SAJ:_ ** _Oh, forget it. Let’s go._

***Special Agents Smith and Johnson exit room***

**Author's Note:**

> ...Flimsy reasoning, but I wanted to write a little bit about Todd liking Jess and it obviously wouldn't happen from Rob's POV. That and a little bit of the Special Agents' thoughts on his and Jess' relationship.


End file.
